MCD to Appoint Expert for Delhi's Road Sanitation Initiative

The project, initially announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in January, was subsequently assigned to the Public Works Department (PWD) in March. In July, the responsibility was transferred to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). A senior MCD official overseeing the project stated that the groundwork has been completed, and the invitation for bids to hire a Project Management Consultant (PMC) will be issued in the upcoming week. The selected consultant will collaborate with the MCD over the next decade, aiding in zoning the 1,400-kilometre arterial roads, preparing machinery and manpower estimates, developing project reports, finalising bids, and overseeing project implementation. The project scope encompasses comprehensive activities such as mechanical sweeping of roads, removal of vegetation and construction debris, pavement washing, earth removal, central verge dirt removal, and channel cleaning. The endeavour will involve a substantial increase in resources, including mechanical road sweepers and anti-smog guns, to ensure cleanliness and the absence of dirt, municipal waste, or construction and demolition waste on these critical roads. During the Delhi Budget, former Finance Minister Kailash Gahlot allocated Rs 20.34 billion for the project to be executed by PWD. The estimated expenditure over the next decade is approximately Rs 194.66 billion, reflecting the scale and significance of this sanitation and road cleaning initiative.